COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. — Where did your county rank recently in corn production among all other Indiana counties? What was a recent state-wide yield for soybeans? These and other questions are addressed in the annual Indiana Agricultural Statistics bulletin.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Indiana Field Office, publishes the Indiana Agricultural Statistics bulletin each fall. It contains current and historic data for all major crops, livestock, economic and related data. I haven’t received my paper copy yet, but the report is available now online at: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Indiana/. Let’s explore some highlights from the bulletin statewide, plus I’ll zero in on some Whitley County data.
Statewide, Indiana ranks as follows on crops among all states: corn for grain, 5th; soybeans, 5th; peppermint, 4th; spearmint, 3rd; all tomatoes, 3rd; cantaloupe, 6th; watermelon, 5th; and pumpkins, 4th. In livestock, Indiana ranks 5th on all hogs (as of Dec. 1, 2017), and 2nd in chickens (as of Dec. 1, 2017). We ranked 8th in pig crop, 4th in turkeys raised, and 2nd in total eggs produced.
Indiana farmers received $10.6 billion in cash receipts from marketings in 2017. Corn was the leading source of income, amounting to $3.28 billion. Soybeans were second at $3.08 billion. Meat animals were third at $1.62 billion. Poultry and eggs were fourth at $1.18 billion, followed by dairy at $750 million.
This is how Whitley County ranked among all Indiana counties for crops in 2017: corn, 48th; soybeans, 52nd; wheat, 5th; and alfalfa hay, 8th. For livestock in 2018, Whitley County producers ranked 57th in number of beef cows, and 30th in number of milk cows. According to the 2012 Ag Census, Whitley County ranked 23rd in all hogs, 30th in all sheep, and 30th in turkeys. No data was available for chickens. Of the 214,763 total acres in Whitley County, 140,099 of those acres are in farms (2012 Ag Census). 120,288 acres are in cropland, 3285 acres are pastureland, and 9124 acres are woodland. There were 710 Whitley County farms in 2012, at an average size of 197 acres.
For average crop yields in Whitley County in 2017, corn came in at 175.0 bushels per acre, soybeans were 51.7 bushels per acre, wheat was 76.6 bushels per acre, and alfalfa hay was 3.40 tons per acre.
Total ag receipts in Whitley County in 2016 totaled $83.01 million, with crops contributing $61.06 million, and livestock contributing $21.95 million.
However, net income paints a more accurate picture. Cash receipts plus government payments, minus expenses, provided a realized net income to Whitley County farmers of just less than $13.40 million in 2016. In 2015, the net was a loss just shy of $1.82 million.
USDA/NASS, Indiana Field Office will also update data periodically on certain pieces of information on their website (see above). For example, 2018 county and state-wide average yield data for corn and soybean in 2018 is set to be released Feb. 22, 2019.
Greg Matli, state statistician, reports that new Census of Agriculture data will be available on Feb. 21, 2019.
— John E. Woodmansee, Purdue Extension Educator, Agriculture/Natural Resources
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